No. 11 Women's Track Team Heads to Conference

PROVO -- The BYU women’s track and field team will be taking their No. 11 ranking to Albuquerque, New Mexico this weekend for the Mountain West Conference Indoor Championships in hopes of defending their 2009 conference title.

Heading into the meet, the Cougars hold the top spot in the MWC in six different events. Sitting atop their respective events are senior Mindy McClurkin in the 200-meters and long jump, sophomore Lacey Cramer in the 800-meters, senior Amy Otis in the 60-meter hurdles and sophomore Ada Robinson in the high jump.

The distance medley relay team composed of sophomore sisters Natalie and Nachelle Stewart, Cramer and senior Angela Wagner is also ranked number one in the MWC.

BYU individual athletes are ranked in the top three in eight other events, and the 4x400-meter relay team is also ranked in the top three. The Cougars have at least one athlete ranked in the top five of every event that will take place at the meet this weekend, and have multiple athletes in the top five in each event excluding the indoor pentathlon, shot put, triple jump and 400-meters.

Cramer leads the Cougars in what is possibly the teams’ best event in the conference ranks, the 800 meters. The team holds the top three spots in the MWC rankings, with Nachelle Stewart and Wagner coming in just behind Cramer. Freshman Nicole Clark is also ranked sixth in the event.

The pole vault is another strong event for the Cougars in this seasons conference meet. Three Cougars are ranked in the top five, with freshman Rachel Brooke Fisher leading the way in second, followed by senior Kari Clark in third and sophomore Kelli Ehardt in fifth.

Coach Poole and his staff are expecting a successful trip to Albuquerque, and hope to defend their conference title. The meet is set to begin on Thursday, February 25 at 11:10 a.m. MST with the women’s pentathlon 60-meter hurdles, and will conclude on Saturday, February 27 at 1:40 p.m. MST with the men’s 4x400-meter relay.